WASHINGTON – The United States believes Russia may be conducting low-levelnuclear tests, a U.S. intelligence official on Wednesday, while the head ofa body monitoring a global nuclear treaty said there was no sign of suchviolations by Moscow.
Negotiated in the 1990s, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)enjoys wide global support but must be ratified by eight more nucleartechnology states, among them Israel, Iran, Egypt and the United States tocome into force.
Russia ratified it in 2000.
However, the head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) said, “TheUnited States believes that Russia probably is not adhering to its nucleartesting moratorium in a manner consistent with the ‘zero-yield’ standard.”
At an arms control forum at the Hudson Institute, DIA head LieutenantGeneral Robert P. Ashley said, “We believe they have the capability in theway they are set up” to conduct low-level nuclear tests that exceed thezero yield limit set in the CTBT,
There was no immediate response from the Russian government, but the headof the Russian State Duma Defense Committee, Vladimir Shamanov, told theInterfax news agency that Ashley “could not have made a more irresponsiblestatement”.
“Nuclear tests cannot be carried out secretly,” it quoted him as saying.
“These kinds of statements reveal that the professionalism of the militaryis systemically falling in America,” Shamanov said.
The head of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO),Lassina Zerbo, said media reports appeared to “probably overstate” Ashley’scomments.
“It wasn’t about Russia conducting any low-yield tests but that Russia mayhave the capability for doing so,” he told Reuters in an interview during avisit to Seoul on Thursday.
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The organization’s global detection systems have not detected any tests,Zerbo said.
“We’re pretty confident that any militarily significant explosive testwould not go undetected. So far we haven’t had any signal to that effectand we’re looking for further evidence.”
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus referred specificquestions to the DIA, but said Russia “routinely” disregarded itsinternational obligations and was in breach of the Intermediate-rangeNuclear Forces Treaty.
“They have been in breach for several years and they have tested, produced,fielded an INF weapon … We are certainly alarmed that they continue todisregard their international obligations as it relates to arms control.”
Russia announced last month it was suspending the INF treaty after theUnited States said it would withdraw because of violations by Moscow.Russia denies flouting the accord and has accused Washington of breakingthe accord itself.
Ashley’s comments underscore the need for countries like the United Statesto ratify the CTBT, Zerbo said.
“You’re not ready to ratify the CTBT but you’re asking for someone tocomply with it, so you’re referring to a treaty that seems to beimportant,” he said.
“If the treaty is important, why don’t we lock it in?”
